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Consonants /b/ versus /ʤ/, 213 pairs     

The spelling of /b/ is <b> or <bb>. The /ʤ/ sound is usually <j> but also <g> before <e> or <i> and exceptionally in gaol, In other positions it is <ge> or <dge>.

The contrast is between a plosive and an affricate, both voiced but well separated in the mouth. It is not a problem for any learners.

Interesting pairs include:

ability agility
bourbon burgeon
The term gender bender has come into the language recently to describe a person who behaves in ways typical of the opposite sex.

The mean density value is 3%. The list makes 110 semantic distinctions, a loading of 52%.

Abe age
ability agility
B G
  B's G's
baa jar
  baa'd jarred
  baas jars
Babs jabs
baccy Jackie 
back jack 
  backed jacked
  backing jacking
  backs jacks
bag jag
  bagged jagged
  bagging jagging
  bags jags
baggy jaggy
bail gaol
  bailed gaoled
  bailing gaoling
  bails gaols
baize J's 
bake jake 
  bakes jakes
bale gaol
  baled gaoled
  baling gaoling
  bales gaols
ban Jan 
bane Jane 
bangle jangle
  bangles jangles
bar jar
  barring jarring
  bars jars
  barred jarred
barb barge
  barbed barged
bard jarred
barrow Jarrow 
bawd jawed
bay J 	
  bays J's
bayed jade
bean gene 
bean Jean
beard jeered
beau Joe
been gene
been Jean
beer jeer
  beers jeers
bell gel
  bells gels
  belled gelled
  belling gelling
belle gel
  belles gels
belly jelly
  bellied jellied
  bellies jellies
  bellying jellying
ben gen
bend genned
bender gender
Benny Jenny
bent gent
  bents gents
Bernie journey
berry jerry
  berries jerries
Bess Jess
Bessie Jessie
best jest
  bested jested
  besting jesting
  bests jests
bet jet
  bets jets
  betted jetted
  betting jetting
Betty jetty		
bey J
  beys J's
bib jib
  bibbed jibbed
  bibbing jibbing
  bibs jibs
bier jeer
  biers jeers
big jig
bigger jigger
bill gill
  bills gills
bin djinn
  bins djinns
bin gin
  bins gins
bingo jingo
biro gyro
  biros gyros
bitters jitters
boar jaw
  boars jaws
board jawed
bob job
  bobbed jobbed
  bobbing jobbing
  bobs jobs
Boche Josh
bog jog
  bogged jogged
  bogging jogging
  bogs jogs
boggle joggle
  boggled joggled
  boggles joggles
  boggling joggling
bolt jolt
  bolted jolted
  bolting jolting
  bolts jolts
bone Joan 
bones Jones
Bonn John
bonny Johnny 
bony Joanie 
boo Jew 
  boos Jews 
boon June
  boons Junes 
boot jute
booze Jews
bore jaw
  bores jaws
  bored jawed
boss joss
  bosses josses
bourbon burgeon
  bourbons burgeons
bow Joe
boy joy 
  boys joys
budge judge
  budged judged
  budges judges
  budging judging
bug jug
  bugged jugged
  bugging jugging
  bugs jugs
built jilt
bulb bulge
bump jump
  bumped jumped
  bumping jumping
  bumps jumps
bumper jumper
  bumpers jumpers
bumpy jumpy
  bumpier jumpier
  bumpiest jumpiest
bungle jungle
  bungles jungles
bunk junk
  bunks junks
buoy joy
  buoyed joyed
  buoying joying
  buoys joys
burke jerk
  burked jerked
  burkes jerks
bury jerry
  buries jerries
bused just
bust just
but jut
butt jut
  butted jutted
  butting jutting
  butts juts
cab cadge
cabbies cadges
cobber codger
  cobbers codgers
derbies dirges
drub drudge
  drubbed drudged
  drubbing drudging
ebb edge
  ebbed edged
  ebbing edging
grub grudge
  grubbed grudged
  grubbing grudging
lob lodge
  lobbed lodged
  lobbing lodging
lobbies lodges
nub nudge
pleb pledge
rib ridge
  ribbed ridged
  ribbing ridging
robber Roger 
turbid turgid
turbidity turgidity
verb verge
web wedge
  webbed wedged
  webbing wedging

Credit: John Higgins